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Category Archives: Pedestrian Accident

Pedestrian accidents in Nevada have been in the news all too much recently. Our sister offices have been following recent pedestrian accidents in Las Vegas. There’s news of a recent fatal pedestrian accident in Reno, and some of the details appear to unfortunately be the same. The initial reports are that this accident in Reno appears in initial reports to have been the result of the pedestrian crossing against the light and being struck by a vehicle.

If you’re the family of the man killed in a Nevada pedestrian traffic accident, this shouldn’t be the final word for you. At the very least, go see an experienced and qualified attorney like we have on staff at Benson & Bingham. The initial or even later word from the police might be that your loved one was crossing against the light, but their word is not able to be heard. That’s where a private attorney doing an independent investigation is needed. To determine if that is necessary, it is important to come speak to the pedestrian accident lawyers at Benson & Bingham Attorneys at Law. We’ll sit with you for free consultation to discuss your legal options. This consultation is no obligation, so no matter what you decide to do it’s your choice.

Why do we offer these free consultations with no obligation to use our services and legal firm? Because we are focused on helping the victims of accidents first, and worrying about everything else second. We believe that if the first thing we focus on is serving the victims of accidents, then business will flow from there. That’s why we have so much referral business and positive reports from clients. Benson & Bingham know that we can’t bring back your loved one, but we can bring you some piece of mind. Contact us today to learn your legal options.

What do we know about this case so far? The Nevada pedestrian death took place in an accident yesterday morning. According to the Reno Police Department, Center Street and Maple Street is the intersection where the deceased was crossing the street when he was struck. Law enforcement does not currently believe that there were any contributing factors along the lines of alcohol or excessive speed. These, however, are not determinations that should be taken at first and face value. Contact a qualified attorney today to give you peace of mind that you did everything you could to ensure that you and your family’s interests are front and center.

As the pedestrian death toll rises across Nevada, politicians citizens, pedestrians and NDOT employees are looking for ways to increase pedestrian safety across the state. Northern Nevadans are asking the state and local politicians and transit officials to improve the pedestrian infrastructure around a very busy intersection. To reduce the number of Reno automobile accidents involving pedestrians, people are requesting that the intersection of Talus Wy and North Virginia St. UNR Reno is in the immediate vicinity of this busy pedestrian intersection. The Department of Transportation has plans to improve the intersection in 2016 in their effort to reduce Washoe County car crashes that involve people who walk across the street.

NDOT, the Silver State’s transportation agency, plans to change the location of the intersection’s crosswalks. The crosswalks will now be closer to the bus stop that is also in the area. The transportation agency is also installing additional signals to alert drivers when someone is crossing North Virginia Ave. The agency will also improve streetlights in the area, which will enable those behind the wheel to see people walking on the street whether they are wearing bright or dark clothing. Finally, the agency is installing a median in the center of the road, thus enabling pedestrians crossing the street to take a break and not have to cross all four lanes of N. Virginia. The state agency has a budget of $10 million to improve roads and crosswalks in both Clark and Washoe Counties. These funds are from the state budget. The improvements to the intersection will be completed next fall and will start in summer 2016. The transportation department has a number of projects that are being worked on to reduce Northern Nevada vehicle collisions. On Interstate 580. the agency will pay a Reno construction company $12.1 million to improve the highway’s infrastructure including replacing old concrete, resurfacing the highway and improve the ability for the highway’s bridges to withstand an earthquake. The agency is also funding an extension of the freeway in Carson City. In Incline Village, the state agency is improving pedestrian access. Crosswalks on State Route 28 are getting new signs to alert motorists of people crossing the street. New streetlights are being installed and ramps are being added to sidewalks. The project is also adding dedicated lanes to turn left on State Route 28 and is also adding left turn signals to the stoplights to make turns easier for those driving.

Sparks police are searching for a car and driver that were involved in a Washoe County automobile accident. The accident happened just on the border of Reno and Sparks. The Sparks car crash killed a man and has been ruled authorities are ruling the accident a hit and run. Police found the man at the intersection of Kietzke Ln and Victorian Ave. The man who died in the accident, a Sparks resident who was aged 55, was found dead on the road just after 3:00 a.m. At first, the Sparks man’s name was not released but it wasl be once the man’s family were informed of his death. Police are saying that the man’s name was Eugene Shorthorn. Mr. Shorthorn was said to be a homeless person who was living in the area of the accident. When found by police, who were responding to a report of the man being down in the road, the Spark Resident had significant injuries to his head and torso. It is being assumed that the man who died was walking in the bike lane at the time of the accident. The investigation by Sparks police will determine if drugs, alcohol or other factors will be the reasons for the man’s death. Businesses in the vicinity of the crash have been canvassed for security camera footage and while Mr. Shorthorn’s death was not caught on camera, three vehicles were in the vicinity at the time of the accident. Three cars are being sought – a semi, a passenger car with a light color paint job and a pickup truck with a light color paint job. Hit and run accidents in Northern Nevada vehicle collisions now come with the highest penalties in the United States. The new hit and run laws, passed in the last legislative session, came into effect on the first day of October. Now, when a driver leaves the scene of an accident where someone is injured they face up to 20 years in jail. The hit and run driver who causes an injury also is not eligible to be given probation for his sentence. Drivers are being informed of the new law by a new campaign from the Nevada department of transportation. The new public service announcements will implore drivers to call 911 and helping the injured person instead of fleeing. Nevada’s previous hit and run statute essentially incentivized drivers involved in an injury accident, who were intoxicated, to flee the scene, sober up and turn themselves into police. Now there is no incentive as the hit and run penalty and the penalty for injuring or killing someone while driving while intoxcated are the same.

A Reno man, 20, was killed in a pedestrian traffic accident, last week, on Thursday September 17th at approximately 9:30 p.m. The Reno automobile accident happened at the intersection of Crystal Ln and Clear Acre Ln. The Reno man killed in the accident, Shane Ortero was rushed to Renown Hospital but was later declared dead at the hospital. The tragic accident happened when a passenger car that was heading northward on Clearacre ran into Mr. Ortero who was in the road. The driver of the car stayed at the scene of the accident and is helping police with their investigation. Police tested the driver for for alcohol and drug intoxication but the driver passed these tests. Police have asked anyone in the public with information on the accident to contact them

Another Northern Nevada pedestrian crash happened the same day when a man was killed in Carson City. The accident happened just before 3:00 p.m. on September 17th, a Thursday. The accident happened in the 100 block of Hot Springs Rd. The man in the accident, 71, was caught under the car that hit him, witnesses to the accident were able to extricate the man before rescue personnel made it to the scene. The man was attempting to cross the street in a crosswalk when the accident happened. The driver who hit the pedestrian, a 68-year old man, was driving of a pickup truck. The driver, 68, was ticketed for not stopping for a pedestrian in a crosswalk and was not cited for driving while intoxicated. The man hurt in the crash was taken by helicopter to Renown hospital, however, he later passed away from his injuries. Finally, on Friday September 25th two young children were injured in a Washoe County car collision. The accident happened at Mae Anne Ave & Avenda de Landa. The two people hurt in the accident were aged 7 and 10 years old and were in a crosswalk at the time of the crash that happened just before 9:00 a.m. The two kids were rushed to Renown Hospital and their injuries were considered no life threatening although one of the children did suffer a significant concussion. The driver of the car that hit the children received a citation in the accident. The driver complained of being blinded by the sun just before the accident happened. Police tested the driver for alcohol and drug intoxication but the driver passed those tests.

There have been several pedestrian accidents in Reno and the surrounding area in the last few days. Like that accident in the previous link, thankfully there have not been just as many deaths from these accidents, just injuries so far. Another pedestrian accident in Northern Nevada happened the other day which, perhaps unlike this accident, appears to have been the fault of the pedestrian crossing outside a marked sidewalk. We see a number of that type of pedestrian accident in Las Vegas, as well, where people cross the street outside of a legal crossing area, like a crosswalk, and get hit. Sometimes, however, those accidents are still predominantly the fault of the driver if they were speeding in Las Vegas, driving drunk, or otherwise driving recklessly.

If you’re injured in a pedestrian accident, you need a good lawyer. Benson & Bingham have been helping people injured in pedestrian accidents in Las Vegas and Reno areas get the coverage they deserve for a combined decades of time. Our top pedestrian accident lawyers can get you the coverage and compensation you need if you’re injured due in total or in part to the carelessness or recklessness of another person. Contact us today for a free consultation to learn your legal rights and options. Benson & Bingham can help you, as we have helped so many others. Our experienced attorneys know that it’s not as simple as being in a marked crosswalk or not, or any other simple, easy journalistic rules of thumb. Each case is unique, and each situation needs to be looked at and judged on its own merits. That’s why we offer free consultations, so you can come in without worry and tell us about your situation, and have us explain your legal options and rights. If you have a case, we’ll see it and represent you to the fullest.

These two recent pedestrian accidents were in similar places. The most recent was around the Mill St and Yori Ave intersection. The other was on El Rancho Drive, just a little ways away. These were not areas named as the most dangerous in a recent in depth article on pedestrian accidents and safety, but perhaps they will be in future articles.

Today’s blog post comes with good advice from the City of Reno Website Traffic Safety section, which contains some pretty relevant information regarding pedestrian safety- especially with Halloween festivities like trick-or-treating fast approaching. You and your family’s safety is already probably one of your highest priorities, and an expensive and possibly devastating pedestrian injury accident in Reno is most likely not how you want to begin your holiday season.

The site offers a very obvious but often overlooked piece of advice for pedestrians first: cross at crosswalks and corners ONLY. It’s so simple, but such an easy way to avoid an injury to you or your loved ones. Same goes for other simple pedestrian safety tips, look both ways, etc. Easy things can save you thousands in medical bills and recovery time for an injury accident that might not be your fault.

In addition to some of these simpler tips, the website also offers some ideas you may have never considered that could save you the headache of a pedestrian injury accident in Northern Nevada. It suggests checking parked cars near where you are crossing for drivers in the car that might suddenly pull out, as well as continually checking for coming vehicles while actually crossing the street, since they can turn corners and come out of parking lots more quickly than your pace. Never hurts to be extra aware, especially in this age of texting and driving. They also encourage walking instead of running, to avoid falls, especially when crossing streets with coming traffic…a very good idea to keep in mind if you have children in your family who will walk neighborhoods for candy this Halloween.

If you or one of your family members is involved in a pedestrian injury accident in Las Vegas or Reno, or any of the surrounding areas, contact Benson and Bingham right away to help you get your life back on track. We understand the trauma and headache an incident like this brings, and we can help you get compensation for your time and money if something as terrible as a pedestrian injury accident in Washoe County affects your family this close to the holidays. Benson & Bingham wants to get you the experience and competence you deserve in a tough situation like this, so please, don’t hesitate to call for your free consultation, and have a safe October.

We have a sad update in the recent story of a Reno fatal pedestrian accident. The update is just that: that this accident has officially gone from an injury accident to a fatality. The accident occurred Thursday night. Initial news reports have the fatal pedestrian accident in Washoe County taking place at the intersection of Peckham Lane and Kietzke Lane. However, the news reports also indicate that the woman may not have been in a crosswalk at the time, leading us to think she might not have been exactly at the intersection.

It’s also quite possible that these initial news reports of this Northern Nevada fatal pedestrian accident are incorrect. We see this not infrequently with fatal pedestrian accidents in Las Vegas as well as in the Reno area: initial news reports come in, investigative teams are sent out, and initial determinations are reversed. Sometimes it take a lawyer investigating on your behalf. And while the woman who was hit and killed may in fact not have been in a marked crosswalk, that’s not the end of the story, either. If the other driver was speeding, or had enough alcohol in his or her system to be charged with DUI in Nevada, or any number of other possible scenarios and circumstances, it’s quite possible that the accident could still be the fault of the driver, not the pedestrian. The Major Accident Investigation Team of the Reno Police Department is said to be investigating the accident. Though they don’t initially believe alcohol or drugs to have been a factor, only time will tell – those types of early indicators also have a way of being reversed.

If you find yourself affected by a horrible situation like this – either a loved one is killed, or you’re injured in a pedestrian accident – you need to speak with a lawyer right away. Top lawyers like we have at Benson & Bingham Attorneys at Law offer free consultations so you don’t have to worry about out of pocket expenses for an initial consultation. We want to hear from you, and give you an opportunity to speak with us and learn your legal rights. Benson & Bingham also know from experience that the sooner you call us, the better chance we have of making sure an investigation is done correctly and while the evidence is fresh, which can help us get you the coverage and compensation you need following any type of accident in Northern Nevada.

Be careful out there on those roads, folks. Whether you’re a pedestrian, driving a car (either safely and fully in compliance with the rules of the road, or not), you just never know when an a car accident in Northern Nevada can ruin your day, your year, or your family. Even if you’re following all the traffic laws, either as a pedestrian or as a vehicle driver, you still need to watch out. Other drivers may not be paying attention, or worse, may be driving under the influence in Nevada. Pedestrians may suddenly dart out in traffic thinking they’re in a legal crosswalk and that you see them and will stop. Wildlife could be crossing the road, causing you to make that terrible decision of whether to brake so hard that you possibly get rear ended, swerve hard and maybe lose control and get in an accident, or just hit the poor animal head on, hoping for the best. Though we do not yet know the circumstances or who may have been at fault yet in a recent case where a pedestrian died after getting hit by a car in Washoe County, we do know that it’s a tragic occurrence, and something her family will be dealing with for a long time. Medical bills from the accident will still have to be paid, funeral and burial arrangements to cover, and accounts and an estate likely to settle. Beyond that, there is the emotional pain and loss of future earnings. To be able to deal with this kind of horrible trauma to your family, you need to have a lawyer who can handle the legal details for you while you grieve. Benson & Bingham Attorneys at Law can help – call us today for a free consultation.

This fatal accident in the Reno area happened on a recent Monday night as the 52 year old woman, a resident of Reno, was walking home in the evening. Reports indicate that she was struck by a vehicle that was traveling the same way as her, indicating that she was following the law and walking with the direction of the traffic. This type of pedestrian accident is common in Las Vegas, and unfortunately it seems to be happening in Northern Nevada more and more.

If you’re injured or a loved one is killed in a vehicle accident near Reno, Benson & Bingham Attorneys at Law can help. We’re experienced in all aspects of this type of law, and can handle your case so you can deal with the ramifications for your life. We can get you good compensation for your injuries or loss, as we have many satisfied clients in the past. Contact Benson & Bingham Attorneys at Law today for a free consultation.

A 2011 Reno DUI death of a pedestrian has led to the DUI conviction of a man to 16 years in jail. The man, 21 year old Cesar Bernal-Cuadra was in the Washoe County DUI accident at Virginia and 8th street last October 21st. The man hit, 63-year old Charles Heinemann was walking out side of a cross walk when he was hit. The determination of where Mr. Heinemann, from California, was walking was done by surveying the surveillance cameras of a number of businesses in the vicinity of the accident. If you have lost a relative or been injured in a Reno pedestrian automobile accident, contact NV-Attorney today for a free legal consultation.

Mr. Bernal-Caudra was not convicted of driving while under the influence of alcohol, however. Urine and blood tests determined that the recently convicted gentleman was under the influence of marijuana at the time of the crash. At the time of the Northern Nevada automobile accident, the man’s infant child and girlfriend were in the car.

Mr. Heinemann was in Reno working on the home of his recently deceased mother-in-law. The California man was running an errand to Walgreen’s at the time of the accident. Mr. Heinemann’s wife was with him in Reno working on the home.

NV-Attorney.com is the Reno, Nevada arm of leading Las Vegas personal injury law firm, Benson and Bingham. Our firm, which secured over $24,000,000 for our clients in 2010 and 2011 has significant experience in all types of personal injury law including Las Vegas wrongful death, Reno big rig accidents, and even casino accidents that have occurred outside of the Silver State when the company’s corporate headquarters is based in Nevada. Benson and Bingham has built its success on the relationships it has with the people it represents. If, at the end of your case, you are not happy with your invoice total, our attorneys will work with you to develop a pricing structure that meets your approval.

Northern Nevada and Southern Nevada surpass the national average in vehicle deaths in a recent CDC report on non-natural deaths across the United States. Nevada led in all categories including drug overdoses, vehicle accidents and suicide. The Silver State’s drug deaths come from a litany of substances including alcohol and prescription opiates. In fact, prescription pain killers were twice as responsible for Nevada deaths as other drugs like heroin and cocaine combined. For the 10 years studied by the CDC, there were over 4,300 deaths due to vehicle crashes. Some of these were Reno motorcycle accidents; others were Northern Nevada car crashes, others were pedestrian deaths, ATVs, bus accidents and even airplane and helicopter crashes. If you have been injured or had a relative killed in a Reno automobile accident, go to NV-Attorney.com today to book your free legal consultation.

While Nevada had 16.9 deaths per every 100,000 people over the 1999-2009 timeframe, the United States averaged 15.6 deaths per 100,000. Nevada is a large state, however, and for miles traveled in the Silver State, Nevada actually ranks significantly lower for Nevada automobile deaths. Drunk and drugged driving is one of the primary factors in Nevada automobile accident deaths. Other contributing factors to Northern Nevada automobile deaths include speeding, poor road conditions and distracted driving. Nevada’s Department of Transportation is working to reduce these vehicle deaths with a number of driver education and enforcement efforts including Joining Forces, increased DUI checkpoints and seatbelt use educational programs.

NV-Attorney is the Northern Nevada branch of Benson and Bingham, one of Las Vegas’ leading personal injury firms. Our attorneys have significant experience with Las Vegas vehicle accidents, Reno pedestrian accidents and Nevada wrongful death cases. Our attorneys are successful because of the relationships they build with their clients as cases move through the legal process. Our firm even offers those we represent our exclusive happiness guarantee; if, at the end of your case, you feel your final bill is unfair, we will work with you to develop a fee structure that meets your approval.